Telephone simulating puzzle toy



Nov, 2, 1954 s. M. FORD TELEPHONE SIMULATING PUZZLE 'roy Filed April l2,1951 nwExmR 5f/a6 M F'or'd BY ATTORNEY is cut out.

Patented Nov. 2, `195,4,

2,693,362 TELEPHONE SIMLATING PUZZLE TOY Silas M. Ford, St. Paul,

Application April 12, 1951, Serial No. 220,599

z'claims. (cian-.157) i i This invention relates to an improvement incombination puzzle toys and deals particularly with a puzzle whichserves not only as a toy, but also as a means of educating smallchildren.

Small children are usually highly interested in tele phones and themanner of operating the same. The child sees adults using the telephonecontinuously and yet is usually prevented from playing with thetelephone. The present invention has for its object the production of atoy which combines certain of the mechanical features of the telephonewith the amusement afforded by a puzzle.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a puzzleincluding a frame and a plurality of separable pieces. These piecescombine to form in outline the shape and appearance of a telephone. Whenthe parts are assembled in place a complete telephone is pictured. Thetelephone is shown as havinga base, a supporting body, and a combinedear phone and mouth piece of conventional shape. When this piece isremoved from the remainder of the puzzle it simulates the telephone incommon use. To assist in the illusion, the removable hand piece isconnected to the telephone body by acord simulating the wire usuallyfound connecting the corresponding parts of an actual telephone.

A feature of the present invention lies in the pro- Vision of a puzzlesimulating in appearance a telephone and having represented thereupon adial similar to that found on a telephone. This dial is actuallyrotatable between fixed limits and the child is enabled to simulate anactual dialing operation. Thus the puzzle is instructive as well asamusing.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be moreclearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of my specification:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a puzzle toy showing the general constructionthereof.

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the base portion of the puzzle toywith the removable puzzle pieces removed therefrom.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through a portion of the puzzle, theposition of the section being indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the dial and a portion of the puzzle piece towhich it is connected.

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing in plan the underside of the dial,the position of the section being indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an elevation view of the spacing washer which is used inconjunction with the dial.

Figure 7 is an elevation view of the spring used conjunction with thedial.

The puzzle is indicated in general by the letter A and includes a baseportion 10 which usually comprises an upper lamination 11 and a lowerlamination 12. The panels 11 and 12 are preferably co-extensive in sizeand shape and are adhered in surface contact. Before the two panels 11and 12 are connected together, the portion of the upper panel 10 whichforms the puzzle pieces Thus the panel 11 forms a frame encircling arecess 13 which is filled with the various puzzle pieces in theassembled form of the puzzle.

In the particular form of construction illustrated the telephone isshown as resting upon a table. The table top is composed of two puzzlepieces 14 and 15 which are separably removable. The legs 16 of the tableare jlninted upon the 4frame panel `11 adjacent tozthe aperture Thetelephone representation is divided into two separable pieces includinga body portion .17 and a hand-set portion `19. These parts are separablyremovable from the aperture 13, but these parts are normally connectedby a cord 20 stapled or otherwise affixed at 21 .to the hand-set piece19 and .stapled vor otherwise connected at 22 to the telephone bodypuzzle piece I7. y The cord 20 has two separate advantages. .In the.'irst place the cord simulates the' wire normally connecting the twocorresponding parts ofan actual telephone, .Secondly this cord forms a.simple and convenient. method of lifting the hand piece from theaperture 13. Thus when the telephone is assembled in the frame 11, thehand piece 19 may be removed by pulling upwardly on the adjacent portionof the cord 20.

The dial construction is best illustrated in Figure 3 through 7 of thedrawings. The dial itself includes a disc 23 having a downwardlydirected marginal flange 24 thereupon. The disc 23 includes a relativelyshort upwardly extending concentric ring shaped ange 25 and a downwardlyprojecting ring-shaped flange 26 on its undersurface. The llange 26preferably extends below the level of the ilange 24. A sleeve-like hub27 is connected to the disc and extends upwardly and downwardly from thesurface thereof. The hub 27 preferably extends the full depth of theflange 26 or slightly below the level of the ange 26.

A bearing sleeve 29 having a head 30 at its upper extremity extendsthrough the hub 27 with sufficient play to permit the hub to rotatefreely about the bearing. A screw 31 or other fastening means extendsthrough the bearing 29 and into the puzzle piece 17 to anchor theseparts together. The bearing 29 is slightly longer than the hub 27 sothat the hub is not clamped between the head of the bearing andthe-puzzle piece. As a result the dial may rotate freely about thebearing 29.

As best indicated in Figure 5 of the drawings, the ilange 26 is providedwith a notch 32 therein. In substantially diametrically opposed relationis provided a lug or stop shoulder 33 connected to the flange 26 andprojecting outwardly therefrom. This lug 31 is designed to engage a stoppin 34 projecting upwardly from the puzzle piece 17. A spring 35encircles the hub 27 between this hub and the ange 26 to urge the dialin the proper rotative direction to engage the lug 33 against the stoppin 34. The spring 35 is provided with an outwardly directed end 39which extends through the notch 32 in the llange 26 to connect theseparts for rotation in unison. The other end of the spring 35 is directedin an axial direction as shown at 40 so as to extend into the puzzlepiece 17 to anchor this end of the spring.

The dial disc 23 is provided with a series of angularly spaced apertures36 extending therethrough arranged similarly to the apertures of atelephone dial. Beneath these apertures on the puzzle piece 17 isprovided indicia 37 similar to the indicia appearing beneath theapertures of a telephone dial. Thus in appearance the puzzle simulatesto a considerable extent the operation of an actual telephone.

The child may insert a finger in any of the dial apertures 36 and rotatethe dial much in the usual manner. When the finger releases the dial, itwill rotate in a reverse direction until the projection 33 strikes thestop pin 34. Thus the child may learn to dial an actual telephone fromoperation of the present toy.

The hand piece and telephone body may be removed from the aperture 13and separately operated, or if de sired, the hand piece alone may beremoved and the telephone dial operated. The formation of the telephoneas a puzzle provides added amusement for the child and developsadditional skill in properly locating the various parts.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principlesof construction and operation of my combination puzzle toy, and while Ihave endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire tohave it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope ofthe following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A telephone puzzle consisting of a flat panel cut to form a framemember having an inner periphery silhouetting at least in part atelephone handset, and a plurality of at puzzle pieces which it into theframe in one specic relation, the puzzle pieces being removable from andreplaceable into said frame, one of said puzzle pieces comprising arepresentation of a telephone body and another of the puzzle piecescomprising a representation of a telephone hand piece, said hand piecebeing located in relation to said telephone body in the assembled puzzleso as to represent the hand piece resting upon the telephone body, saidhand piece puzzle piece being separately removable from and replaceableinto said frame, and a slack cord simulating a telephone cord connectingsaid puzzle piece representing a telephone body to the hand piece puzzlepiece, said cord serving as a handle means for removing said last namedpuzzle pieces singly or in unison from the assembly.

2. The structure described in claim l and including a rotatabletelephone dial simulating member pivotally supported by the puzzle piecerepresenting a telephone body and projecting from the plane of the same.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,996,642 Conklin Apr. 2, 1935 2,037,966 Dailey Apr. 21, 1936,468 Madden June 15, 1948 2,533,327 Richards Dec. 12, 1950

